Re: L2-"Negotiating" a curve.

[Ludwik Kowalski <KowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

Thanks, Leigh. I located both books (see below) in our library.
Plus one more, "The Unicycle Book" by Jack Wiley (1973,
ISBN 0-8117-0416-5). When will I have time to spend an hour
or two with each? I do not know.

You are certainly correct that detailed calculations (such as finding
the relation between the wheel angle and the radius of the path, for
a given v and mu and the vehicle shape, and ..., may not be trivial.
But a semi-quantitative explanation, which L2 students should be
able to grasp in terms of an FBD, should be possible, I believe. It
is "only a matter of three forces" with which the road is acting on
a rigid object.

In fact, I would publish such explanation as a note in TPT (unless
it has already been done) if I were able to produce it. Future textbook
authors could be influenced and, who knows, the brainchild of the
author may become part of the next generation of textbooks. This is
the most natural way that teachers can contribute to slow textbook
evolution. They are in the best position to do this. They know exactly
where the weak points are and what is needed. Any takers? Try it us
first, if you want.
                            Ludwik Kowalski

Leigh Palmer wrote:

> Ludwik, You should look at "Bicycles & Tricycles - An Elementary
> Treatise on Their Design and Construction" by Archibald Sharp.
> The 1896 edition of the book was reprinted by MIT Press and it
> should be in any good library (it's in mine). "Bicycling Science"
> by Frank Rowland Whitt and David Gordon Wilson is another MIT
> Press book (2d ed. 1982) with useful information.
>
> The problem is not trivial, but it is resolvable. The geometry
> is quite tricky. You will have to articulate your wheel on a
> tricycle or else go to a bicycle model. Forget about simplified
> treatments of the sort you find in Serway. They won't answer
> real world questions.